Cylinder lock



A. KITTLER CYLINDER LOCK Jan. 3, 1939.

Filed June 21, 1935 2- Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Mm

firromv S.

Jan. 3, 1939. A. KITTLER CYLINDER LOCK Filed June 21, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 21,

1935, Serial No. 27,807

In Czechoslovakia September 25, 1934 4 Claims.

The subject of the invention is a tumbler lock of the kind in which forthe purpose of opening the lock a number of tumblers are so displaced inthe longitudinal direction, that is, in the direction of thelongitudinal axis of the look, by means of a suitable key, thattransverse cut out portions of these tumblers become alined side by sideand enable the segments of the guard plate to pass through uponsimultaneous rotation of the lock casing about its axis.

' According to the invention, these slidable tumblers are so arrangedrelatively to each other that by their rotation as a whole, the lock canbe opened each time with a different key, in the present instance bymeans of four keys, and in accordance with one constructional examplealways with one of these keys until a change is desired, or inaccordance with a second constructional example, with all four keyssuccessively, in four locking positions of the bolt.

In the drawings these two constructional examples are showndiagrammatically together with appertaining details.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal axial section through the lock according to thefirst constructional example with the middle tumbler parts seen from theside.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the outer lock plate (for illustrating thevarious positions on opening the lock),

Fig. 3 shows a detail of the device for locking the tumbler casingagainst displacement and rotation, in section on plane III-III of Fig.1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged diagrammatical cross section of the tumbler casingand the tumblers according to IV-IV of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 shows a detail,

Figs. 5 to 5 show the profiles of the various keys XI, XII, XIII, XIVand indications of the position of their various teeth ap upon thetumblers,

Figs. 6 and 6 are a side View of one of the tumbler casing ends and oneof the opposite inner cylinder ends,

Fig.7 is a further detail of these tumbler casing parts,

Fig. 8 is an end view of the inserted lock,

Figs. 13 and 13 show a further modification.

In the constructional example according to Figs. 1 to 8, the tumblerlock according to the invention consists of four tumblers l, 2, 3, 4having a rectangular broken cross section profile and arranged slidablyupon each other, so that they embrace each other partly, when insertedas a whole in the tumbler casing 5 which latter is provided with fourcut-outs -6 (Figs. 1, 4 and 6) through which the ribs 1 of thesetumblers project, which ribs possess radial transverse slots of twokinds, namely, recesses ,8 which extend right through and blind slots 9.In the illustrated position of the tumblers in Fig. 1, the slots 8 ofthese tumblers which extend entirely through the ribs 1 are so displacedrelatively to each other from a common cross plane of the known per seguard plate ID, that this plate with its knife edge segments can be inengagement only with the segmental intervals between the ribs 1. Assoon, however, as these tumblers by the use of a suitable key I l are,in a usual manner, displaced or set into the opening position, the slots8 which extend entirely through ribs 1 come exactly into the plane ofthe knife edge segments of the plate In and the inner lock, namely thetumblers and the tumbler casing 5, are freely turnable. In order toprevent the slots 8 from being ascertained by feeling with tools otherthan the proper keys, there are provided the abovementioned blind slots9 on both sides of the ribs 1. The slots 8 are arranged upon theindividual ribs in differing order with regard to each other butsymmetrically as regards the centre of the cylinder 5. The tumblers I,2, 3 and 4, on withdrawal of the key, are pressed by corresponding bandsprings I2 into their initial or looking position; these band springsare arranged radially upon the tumblers and are engageable withcorresponding parts of the lock structure, at their free ends (Fig. 1).

The tumbler casing 5 with the tumblers is mounted freely rotatable inthe two central openings of the side walls of the lock casing l3(Fig. 1) from which both ends of the tumbler casing 5 project. Each ofthese ends of the tumbler casing 5 is provided with four symmetricallyarranged longitudinal recesses l 6 which engage correspondinglongitudinal tooth-like projections 15, upon the inner end of each ofthe two cylinder heads ll provided with a keyhole l8 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6)These two interengaging parts are moreover provided with peripheralgrooves I9 and I9, respectively. With these grooves engages, accordingto the invention, at each cylinder head IT, a locking fork '20, which isrotatable about a stationary pivot 2I (Figs. 1 and 3), and which isswingable into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, so that itis out of engagement with the peripheral grooves I9, I9. The forks 20are, for this purpose, provided each with a flat grip 22 (Figs. 3 and 8)which grips engage in slots 23 in the face plate 24 of the lock (Fig.8).

The tumbler casing 5 is moreover provided with a toothed pinion 25 (Fig.'7) which is provided with a cut-out 26 which permits of thelongitudinal displacement of the tumblers therethrough and which pinionis provided with teeth 21 which engage the toothed rod extension 28 ofthe bolt proper.

The tumbler casing 5 is so adjusted with the tumblers with regard to thetwo cylinder heads II that the lock can be opened only with one of thefour keys, for instance, with the key XI; by

means of the remaining keys, the tumblers cannot be moved into theunlocked position. If the owner wishes to transfer the function of thiskey to another key, for instance, because someone unauthorized hasobtained a duplicate of this key, it suffices to release both cylinderheads by swinging outwards the forks 20 and turning the cylinder headsthemselves through 90, 180 or 270, whereby the keyhole may be set inalinement with any one of the other three rows of tumbler ribs I for atotally different arrangement of the effective cut-outs 8 of thetumblers I, 2, 3 and 4 in accordance with one of the profiles of theremaining keys 2H1, XIII and XIV (Fig. 5). The sliding out of thecylinder heads is limited by beaded rings I'I' provided thereon. Theserings are simple circular ribs formed on the heads.

The above described construction of the tumbler lock according to Figs.1 to 8 can be so modified that the lock can be opened only by using thefour keys successively; this arrangement may be used with advantage forlocks of safes and like locks, which are intended to be opened only inthe presence of say four persons, each of whom has one of the keys.

This modified arrangement is shown in detail in Figs. 9 to 12. Thisarrangement is identical with that previously described as far as thegrouping of the four effective tumblers I, 2, 3 and 4 in the inner lockcasing 5 is concerned, but

the two cylinder heads II are free of the tumbler casing 5 and may berotated forwards and backwards relatively to the tumbler casing 5 andonly through 90; a further turning by means of the same key is preventedby stationary stops 30 upon the front cover wall 3| of the look behindthe usual wooden layer of the door wing 21 or the like and projections32 upon the outer edge of either cylinder head II". After this turningof the tumbler casing and withdrawal of the lock bolt through the firstlocking length, the first key must be withdrawn, the tumbler casingremaining turned but the tumblers being pressed into locking position bythe'springs I2 as in the construction of Fig. 1 necessitating thefurther, for instance three more operations of the tumblers and turningof the toothed pinion 25 and tumbler casing to retract the bolt throughthree more locking lengths, the passage of the knife arms I through thecut outs 8 of the ribs of the tumblers I, 2, 3 and 4 being looked aftereach operation. After withdrawal of the key (XI) the correspondingcylinder heads II" are turned back by suitable springs or by hand bymeans of the key. In the turned position of the tumblers-it is, forfurther turning of the tumblers through 90,

necessary to use the key XII, whereupon the above described operation isrepeated until the employment of the next following keys XIII and XIV.On using the last key XIV the bolt is slid back from the lockingpositions through the last portion of its locking length, and the lockis opened.

The connection of the two cylinder heads II with the tumbler casing is,in this case too, effected by means of suitable forks 20' (Figs. 9 andwhich in this constructional example, are guided longitudinallydisplaceable in projections 33 of the front wall 3I of the look.

In a further modified construction according to Fig. 13 there areprovided in place of the stops 30 and projections 32 of Figs. 9 and 10,one or more oppositely located small screws or pins 40 upon the outeredge of either of the cylinder heads IT", IT" and symmetrically arrangedlimiting stops 4 I, the position of which corresponds for instance tothe four quarters or turning positions of these cylinder heads.

What I claim:

1. A tumbler lock having a plurality of tumblers of angularcross-section arranged symmetrically about a common axis, selected onesof said tumblers embracing another to form a substantially cylindricalunit including all of said tumblers, ribs attached to each of saidtumblers and projecting radially from said cylindrical unit, said ribshaving cut-out portions, a casing for said tumblers, said casing havingapertures for receiving said ribs, a guard plate with a plurality ofknife edge segments corresponding to said ribs, said knife edge segmentsbeing adapted to pass through said rib cut-out portions when saidtumblers are engaged at the ends thereof by a substantially flat key andshifted along the axis of symmetry thereof with respect to each other topermit opening the lock.

2. A tumbler lock having a plurality of tumblers of angularcross-section arranged symmetrically about a common axis, selected onesof said tumblers embracing another to form a substantially cylindricalunit including all of said tumblers, ribs attached to each of saidtumblers and projecting radially from said cylindrical unit, saidribshaving cut-out portions, a casing for said tumblers, said casinghaving apertures for receiving said ribs, a pair of heads adapted to bepositioned on opposite ends of said tumbler casing, means for holdingsaid heads in place on said casing, and means for releasing saidlast-mentioned means, a guard plate with a plurality of knife edgesegments corresponding to said ribs, said knife edge segments beingadapted to pass through said rib cut-out portions when said tumblers areengaged at the ends thereof by a substantially flat key and shiftedalong the axis of symmetry thereof with respect to each other to permitopening the lock.

3. A tumbler lock having a plurality of tumblers of angularcross-section arranged symmetrically about a common axis, selected onesof said if tumblers embracing another to form a substantiallycylindrical unit including all of said tumblers, ribs attached to eachof said tumblers and projecting radially from said cylindrical unit,said ribs having cut-out portions, a casing for said ments correspondingto said ribs, said knife edge segments corresponding to said ribs, saidknife edge segments being adapted to pass through said rib cut-outportions when said tumblers are shifted with respect to each other alongthe axis of symmetry thereof to permit opening the lock, said headshaving a substantially flat key-receiving hole formed therein such thatwhen one of said heads is rotated through a predetermined angle orangles with respect to said tumblers and said casing a different key isrequired to open the lock.

4. A tumbler lock having a plurality of tum blers of L-shapedcross-section arranged symmetrically about a common longitudinal axis,selected ones of said tumblers embracing another to form a substantiallycylindrical unit including all of said tumblers, slotted means attachedto exposed surfaces of said tumblers, a casing for said tumblers, saidcasing having longitudinally disposed openings formed therein throughwhich said slotted means are arranged to protrude, key receiving headsadjustably attached to the ends of said casing for permitting key meansto engage the ends of said tumblers for shifting said selected ones ofsaid tumblers and the corresponding slotted means into predeterminedpositions with respect to each other, and means for engaging saidslotted means to prevent rotation of said tumblers and said casingunless said slotted means are properly positioned longitudinally withrespect to each other by said key means.

ANTONfN KETI'LER.

